The X Factor: Female Project Managers Should Take the Lead

  PM Network  

When Pearl Maxwell, Ph.D., first entered the workforce, every day she put on a blue or gray suit and tied a small bow tie around her neck. It was the same uniform worn by any woman who wanted to be taken seriously in the corporate arena. And it was part of a daily ritual to fit in. In the 30 years since her career in project management began, Dr. Maxwell says she has seen more women rise to all levels in the workforce.

But the struggle continues.

“Every single time I lead project management training courses, there are women lined up at the end of each session to talk to me about issues they have specifically because they are female,” says Dr. Maxwell, senior consultant at Advanced Management Services Inc., Canton, Massachusetts, USA. “I’m hearing the same stories today that I heard 30 years ago. This should not be. We should have overcome these issues. We need to talk about it.”

And part of that discussion should focus on the need for women to stop trying to be “one of the guys” and start thinking like a genderless leader.

Learning to lead

Being a leader is intrinsic to being a project manager, and women have learned to walk a fine line between appearing strong enough to lead without coming across as too aggressive. But there are still the lingering perceptions that women sacrifice credibility for likeability, …

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